Racism In Blaunder's Talking Past Each Other

In the article “Talking Past Each Other” Blaunder speaks about how there is a gap on how to perceive racism, which reflects a difference between both race (color/white). In the conversation between the white male (Bob), and black female (Shontell) we can clearly see how there is a gap on their perception of racism. Bob is telling Shontell that why would she considered US as racist, if the President himself is black. Her respond showed Individualistic Fallacy, on how her thoughts are based on ideas and prejudices. In this fallacy racism is only a collection of nasty thought she might have about the country itself, that’s why her respond was “you can’t see the forest for its tree”. Basically defending her idea that only because the president …show more content…
The idea is because “racism is a system of “power” and black people as a group do not have power” (Blaunder, Pg.57). The idea that a group of blacks can’t have power shows how only because one person itself has an important position, it does not mean that racism overall towards the race is out the picture. Bobs confusion towards her idea was that how can a place be racist and yet hire you? She then backs up her opinion on how she was hired in a place in which she was the only black person working for them, or ever hired. She later quit because she felt like they were racist, but yet didn’t have a fundamental evidence to prove it. Her only backup during her conversation with Bob was that “It wasn’t that obvious. I was the first black person they had hired, and just didn’t feel like I fit in. It wasn’t a comfortable place for a black person to work” (line 16). I don’t agree with her quitting, she didn’t have a fundamental reason for her to feel like they were being racist. I think it was more her feeling weird because she was the only black person there. Instead of blaming it on them being racist why not look at it as black people not trying to get out their comfort zone, to actually feel comfortable in a place even though the majority group is not of their same …show more content…
Throughout the whole conversation we can argue between Desmond and Blaunder article wider and narrower definitions. All of Desmond Fallacies point of view definition, defended a white narrower point of view. Blaunder black wider definition believed that an occupation is racist simply because of racial minorities and underrepresented in numbers or in positions of prestige and authority. In which case the wider definitions defended Shontell’s reasons on why to feel like there was racism in its